The online store located at Gamestore.Phantom.net carries a large selection of computer games, from today's top titles to the classics of yesteryear. Purchases made through the store will be tracked, allowing buyers to re-download their games at no additional cost until the end of time. Next year Phantom plans to roll out steaming gameplay, rentals, and timed trials to the service. This is pretty much the store that would have been the backbone of the Phantom console, had that whole thing ever worked out.

On the hardware side of things, Phantom is also announcing that they've secured funding to produce a new batch of their Phantom Lapboards early next year, complete with an upgraded laser mouse and new internal components. The Lapboard combines a wireless keyboard and mouse with a hard surface that allows players to conveniently play PC games from the comfort of their couch. I must have one.

It's nice to see the company putting out actual products, isn't it? In a few decades we'll finally be able to look back at the whole Phantom console debacle and laugh.

Phantom Entertainment Launches Highly Anticipated Game Store; Company Secures Funding for Innovative Lapboard Production

December 15th, 2008 – Tampa, FL

Phantom Entertainment today launched its highly anticipated online game store, located at gamestore.phantom.net. The game store features an impressive catalog of over 2,600 PC games including top sellers like Fallout 3 and Far Cry 2. The store allows for outright purchasing of video games or try before you buy, and features level 4 merchant abilities. It uses a highly advanced content licensing management system to track all games purchased, so once a game is paid for and downloaded, the user owns the license forever and can return to re-download the game in the future without incurring additional cost.

This is all made possible by a strategic partnership with GameStreamer, Inc. and their Enterprise Class Gaming Network built on top of Savvis Communications Tier 1 backbone and data centers. GameStreamer is diligently working on implementing technology to enhance its offering and providing unparalleled service to its users. Some of the enhancements will include a streaming system, subscription support, rentals, timed trials and complete automations with its content and distribution partners.

Phantom Entertainment is also announcing today that they have secured financing and have placed an order with its contract manufacturer to mass manufacture the Phantom Lapboard. The units will be arriving in January and be available for purchase on the Phantom.net website. Phantom Entertainment has been working diligently to address the needs and concerns of large big box retailers and OEM manufacturers to deliver upon their expectations of building an order history. The Lapboard is positioned to be the selection of choice for the evolving market for digital media centers, set-top boxes and devices in the living room or automobiles. Phantom Entertainment’s mission is to deliver our lapboards with the highest quality and customer satisfaction.

Phantom Entertainment shipped its first small order of lapboards last quarter and has made many improvements. The company “upgraded" the laser mouse and internal component hardware and is ready for retail and OEM distribution. The company has opened up a warehouse, logistics and distribution facility in St. Louis, Missouri and has worked out a system to ensure units are on hand to facilitate the demand.

The Phantom® Lapboard is a combination wireless keyboard, laser mouse and hard surface that makes it easy for you to work or play games from your couch, easy chair or any comfortable setting in your home or workplace. The Lapboard includes wireless technology, ergonomic design, one-touch features, and a wireless laser mouse. Its innovative design features a keyboard that rotates 360-degrees to accommodate left or right-handed users and inclines on a 22-degree angle with a hard surface below for the Phantom Laser Mouse. The Lapboard's interchangeable key-face technology is designed for game-specific and business software applications for PC or Apple Mac platforms.

As a special promotion to promote the launch of the Phantom game store and availability of the Phantom Lapboard, Phantom Entertainment will be offering the first 100 game store registered users a premium game title for free. Also, anyone who orders the Phantom Lapboard during the month of January will receive a credit to purchase a free casual game title.

Caveat emptor and all that.

A Gaming Miracle [Just Press Play via Game|Life]

With Sony already rumored to be planning an on-demand download service and Microsoft offering plenty of downloadable movies and television shows via the Xbox Live Marketplace, one has to wonder how open these monoliths would be to inviting a partner. My guess? Not open. Maybe the Phantom console would be a better bet.

Netflix Wants To Deliver Video Via Xbox 360, PS3 [Gamasutra]

Ever wonder what happened to the Phantom gaming console? Apparently it went back in time to terrify Brazillian children into bouts of bowel-shaking squeals. This time around they're using Freddy Kreuger, Nazis, Ninjas and a bad Jason knock-off to do the scaring instead of voluminous lies, empty plastic consoles and a perpetually changing launch date. Brian Crecente

Engadget reports that all traces of the Phantom Game Console have been erased from the Infinium Labs website, breaking the hearts of the two people who actually believed the thing was genuine hardware.

Oh, Phantom. How many hours of derisive giggling have you selflessly given us (hey check out my awesome split infinitive)? And now you're gone. Dead and gone forever, leaving us with a far less entertaining business model to lambast.

Recently renamed Phantom Entertainment (probably to shed the constant vaporware references that plagued its former moniker), the company is now focused on marketing its wireless gaming Lapboard and so-called Phantom Game Service, which is the "first end-to-end on-demand game service delivering games to your living room" (guess they never heard of GameTap) — that is, if you happen to have an XP-powered PC situated in that particular room.

See? Just not as hilarious. I weep for the good old days, when driving by a LAN party and shouting "PHANTOM" out the window would result in Red Bull-geysering hilarity. Thanks, Nathaniel. Eliza Gauger

more here [Engadget]

In an attempt to confuse and bilk further investors by disassociating themselves from ex-CEO Tim Roberts' recent indictment for pump and dumping, Infinium Labs is changing the name of the company to the all-too-appropriate Phantom Entertainment.

Folks, you can't make a quote like this up. From their SEC filing:

The Board of Directors believes that the name change would be in the best interests of the Company because the new name better reflects the long-term growth strategy of the Company.

An excellent way to put it. The long-term growth strategy of the company is well reflected in a word primarily defined as an intangible imaginary entity. FLORIAN ECKHARDT

Infinium Announces Name Change, Stock Increase Plans [Gamasutra]

One of the things we never expected to see from Infinium Labs is shady business practices.

Ha ha ha! No, just kidding — if the Phantom console was ever released, we pretty much expected to see a 486 processor shoved into an XBox shell and a swaztika logo slapped on top of the giant neon X. So we aren't surprised at all that the SEC is investigating Infinium Labs ex-CEO Timothy Roberts for misleading investors to artificially raise Infinium's stock prices, then immediately selling his own shares at an inflated price before they got wise.

According to Gamespot, Roberts personally sent out thousands of faxes to investors, guaranteeing a January 2005 launch amongst a gaggle of other bald-faced lies. The faxes informed investors that Infinium's stock values could rise as much as 3,000%. Investors greedily swooped up more Infinium stock. Roberts then immediately sold 1.3 million shares of his own shares, netting a cool $422,500.

With the SEC involved, Roberts now equals screwed. Even if the console is never released, no one can say that gamers haven't had thousands of hours worth of fun with the Phantom Console, can they? - Florian Eckhardt

Ex-Infinium CEO Accused of Stock Scandal [Next Generation]

Sony pushed for PlayStation 3 online game development with Korean game makers and KIPA, a Korean government agency that promotes IT, a huge market for online gaming and a quickly growing development region. Apparently, things didn't go so well. Will Sony get its online act together in time?

Speaking of Sony, they nipped some early details on God of War 2 and Gran Turismo 4 Online Edition right in the digital bud. After Eurogamer posted details mid-week, then pulled them at the behest of some nice lawyer-types, Sony reps officially denied the leaked info. What gives? Sounds like someone shot someone else's marketing load a bit too early for corporate's tastes.

One last noteworthy Sony bit is this little rumor going 'round that the PS2 would evolve into Sony Computer Entertainment's answer to the Nintendo "Revolution" by further integrating EyeToy functionality into the console and/or controller itself. Stinks of this-guy-I-know rumor mongering, but doesn't sound that unreasonable.

Those finicky government types who like to regulate marketing "lies" put the kibosh on Activision's U.K. television advertising for Call of Duty 2 and Call of Duty: Big Red One, citing that the adverts misrepresented the game's real-time capabilities. If you've never seen them, the ads showcase none of the game's in-game graphics, instead opting for clean, cinematic prerendered sequences. This is known in the biz as "slimy".

Commemorating the final retail demise of the still-born Gizmondo portable, Tiger Telematics exec Stefan Eriksson had his Ferrari Enzo ripped in half, quite unintentionally. News of the crash led every single sucker who actually paid for a Gizmondo to smile with glee in perfect harmony. Further details crept out over the weekend.

In other failed venture news, Infinium Labs Phantom console received its final coffin nail, with only the questionably useful "lapboard" keeping the Phantom legacy alive.

And if you ever find yourself in Japan, and would like to visit Nintendo HQ, check out our visual guide to getting there by train. If you feel like snagging some coffee and pizza on the way, with a side of karaoke and pachinko, it's an invaluable resource.

GameSpot reports on the recently-opened books over at Infinium Labs "makers" of the Phantom and sooner, if finances straighten out the Phantom Lapboard. In an attempt to right the ship that is Infinium, the company is temporarily redirecting its efforts away from the Phantom Game Service and toward the Phantom Lapboard. The battle plan indicates that if Infinium is able to produce the lapboard it would likely be sold online first and then possibly moved into conventional retail outlets depending on its success. It gets worse, though. Infinium is having problems making its rent in Seattle and is trying to reach an agreement to exit the property. There are so many makeable jokes, but they all feel cruel.

Infinium Opens the Books [GameSpot]

Clickable Culture reports that according to new Infinium CEO Greg Koler, the Phantom, Infinium's gaming machine is planned for launch in 2006. So we have three next-gen machines to look forward to this year. The Revolution, PlayStation 3 AND the Phantom.

One of these is not like the others. And I don't mean in a controlled-by-a-remote-control kind of way.

Infinium Labs Phantom Console in 2006 [Clickable Culture]

Gamasutra reports that my favorite piece of vaporware not named Duke Nuke 'Em Forever, maker Infinium Labs is having some financial issues and that instead of launching the Phantom "game console" (pun unintended, I didn't name the console - they did) in Q2 2006 gamers can use Infinium's Lapboard! The Lapboard, which Infinium admits it might not have the finances to launch, is a wireless keyboard and mouse set-up for gaming. Gamers will be able to use the lapboard to play within a 30 foot radius of their PC. That fact leads me to wonder, do people play their PC games far from the monitor? Is there a better way to experience PC gaming and the Phantom Lapboard is going to open my eyes to it?

Phantom Announces Lapboard, Reveals Financial Problems [Gamasutra]

Infinium Labs, the company behind the next-generation of console vaporware, the Phantom, made a change at the leadership position, according to Games Industry. Greg Koler has taken over as both CEO and CFO for Kevin Bachus after Bachus left Infinium. As far as how this affects the Phantom's release? Eh, no one knows. The race is on to see which hits store shelves first Duke Nuke 'Em Forever or the Phantom.

Kevin Bachus Leaves Infinium, Koler Named CEO [Games Industry]

Not only does Infinium Labs CEO Kevin Bachus have the nerve to keep pitching the ridiculous Phantom Game Console/Pyramid Scheme our way, but he's still saying that the non-existent money sponge has huge support.

Bachus was toting an empty plastic case and way too big keyboard around London recently trying to get people to take pictures of him.

That Phantom Keyboard looks an awful lot like something ripped from the dusty case of a TRS-80 to me.

Kevin Bachus Poses with Phantom in Europe [File Rush News]

Infinium Labs, the brain-trust behind the no-see-um console the Phantom, has promoted their Chief Operating Officer Kevin Bachus to Chief Executive Officer of the Board of Directors. Meanwhile the company is still not launching their mystery console, still not showing it to anyone in anything resembling a completed product and still wasting the combined time of gamers everywhere. Maybe they think the current consoles aren't enough of a match for them and they're waiting for a chance to go toe-to-toe with the next-gen.

Infinium Labs Gets New CEO [eToychest]

If you're looking for a cheap laugh at someone else's expense, hop on over to Twisted Monkey and read Kevin Bachus kicking off yet another bullshit circus about how the Phantom console is on the verge of incredible things one of which is most certainly not its grave.

The interview by Twisted Monkey, while a valiant attempt at getting to some truth beyond all of the hyperbole, will still leave everyone wanting for more. I'm personally convinced that the Phantom has always been a fancied up scam created to help generate free money, also known as capital.

TwistedMonkey Interview: Infinium s Kevin Bachus (Part 1) [Twisted Monkey]

Infinium Labs Bachus to Speak on Game Industry Trends [Creative Mac]

Phantom Console Updates [PC Magazine]

Phantom Update [Game Gossip]